第22章

It is the only way in which I may atone for the wrong I have done a very good woman.Take my pistol and do as I bid.""It would be murder," replied De Coude."But what wrong did you do my wife? She swore to me that--""I do not mean that," said Tarzan quickly."You saw all the wrong that passed between us.But that was enough to cast a shadow upon her name, and to ruin the happiness of a man against whom I had no enmity.The fault was all mine, and so I hoped to die for it this morning.I am disappointed that monsieur is not so wonderful a marksman as I had been led to believe.""You say that the fault was all yours?" asked De Coude eagerly.

"All mine, monsieur.Your wife is a very pure woman.

She loves only you.The fault that you saw was all mine.

The thing that brought me there was no fault of either the Countess de Coude or myself.Here is a paper which will quite positively demonstrate that," and Tarzan drew from his pocket the statement Rokoff had written and signed.

De Coude took it and read.D'Arnot and Monsieur Flaubert had drawn near.They were interested spectators of this strange ending of a strange duel.None spoke until De Coude had quite finished, then he looked up at Tarzan.

"You are a very brave and chivalrous gentleman," he said.

"I thank God that I did not kill you."

De Coude was a Frenchman.Frenchmen are impulsive.He threw his arms about Tarzan and embraced him.Monsieur Flaubert embraced D'Arnot.There was no one to embrace the doctor.

So possibly it was pique which prompted him to interfere, and demand that he be permitted to dress Tarzan's wounds.

"This gentleman was hit once at least," he said."Possibly thrice.""Twice," said Tarzan."Once in the left shoulder, and again in the left side--both flesh wounds, I think." But the doctor insisted upon stretching him upon the sward, and tinkering with him until the wounds were cleansed and the flow of blood checked.

One result of the duel was that they all rode back to Paris together in D'Arnot's car, the best of friends.De Coude was so relieved to have had this double assurance of his wife's loyalty that he felt no rancor at all toward Tarzan.

It is true that the latter had assumed much more of the fault than was rightly his, but if he lied a little he may be excused, for he lied in the service of a woman, and he lied like a gentleman.

The ape-man was confined to his bed for several days.He felt that it was foolish and unnecessary, but the doctor and D'Arnot took the matter so to heart that he gave in to please them, though it made him laugh to think of it.

"It is droll," he said to D'Arnot."To lie abed because of a pin prick! Why, when Bolgani, the king gorilla, tore me almost to pieces, while I was still but a little boy, did I have a nice soft bed to lie on? No, only the damp, rotting vegetation of the jungle.Hidden beneath some friendly bush I lay for days and weeks with only Kala to nurse me--poor, faithful Kala, who kept the insects from my wounds and warned off the beasts of prey.

"When I called for water she brought it to me in her own mouth--the only way she knew to carry it.There was no sterilized gauze, there was no antiseptic bandage--there was nothing that would not have driven our dear doctor mad to have seen.Yet I recovered--recovered to lie in bed because of a tiny scratch that one of the jungle folk would scarce realize unless it were upon the end of his nose."But the time was soon over, and before he realized it Tarzan found himself abroad again.Several times De Coude had called, and when he found that Tarzan was anxious for employment of some nature he promised to see what could be done to find a berth for him.

It was the first day that Tarzan was permitted to go out that he received a message from De Coude requesting him to call at the count's office that afternoon.

He found De Coude awaiting him with a very pleasant welcome, and a sincere congratulation that he was once more upon his feet.Neither had ever mentioned the duel or the cause of it since that morning upon the field of honor.

"I think that I have found just the thing for you, Monsieur Tarzan," said the count."It is a position of much trust and responsibility, which also requires considerably physical courage and prowess.I cannot imagine a man better fitted than you, my dear Monsieur Tarzan, for this very position.It will necessitate travel, and later it may lead to a very much better post--possibly in the diplomatic service.

"At first, for a short time only, you will be a special agent in the service of the ministry of war.Come, I will take you to the gentleman who will be your chief.He can explain the duties better than I, and then you will be in a position to judge if you wish to accept or no."De Coude himself escorted Tarzan to the office of General Rochere, the chief of the bureau to which Tarzan would be attached if he accepted the position.There the count left him, after a glowing description to the general of the many attributes possessed by the ape-man which should fit him for the work of the service.

A half hour later Tarzan walked out of the office the possessor of the first position he had ever held.On the morrow he was to return for further instructions, though General Rochere had made it quite plain that Tarzan might prepare to leave Paris for an almost indefinite period, possibly on the morrow.

It was with feelings of the keenest elation that he hastened home to bear the good news to D'Arnot.At last he was to be of some value in the world.He was to earn money, and, best of all, to travel and see the world.

He could scarcely wait to get well inside D'Arnot's sitting room before he burst out with the glad tidings.D'Arnot was not so pleased.

"It seems to delight you to think that you are to leave Paris, and that we shall not see each other for months, perhaps.

Tarzan, you are a most ungrateful beast!" and D'Arnot laughed.

"No, Paul; I am a little child.I have a new toy, and I am tickled to death."And so it came that on the following day Tarzan left Paris en route for Marseilles and Oran.